Atlético pair miss Valencia date

Club Atlético de Madrid will be without José Antonio Reyes and Juan Valera for their UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg at Valencia CF on Thursday.

Reyes – who has made 42 appearances in all competitions for Los Rojiblancos this term – was replaced at half-time during Atlético's 3-2 Liga defeat at Real Madrid CF on Sunday, with subsequent tests revealing the 26-year-old midfielder had suffered a left calf injury.

Right-back Valera, 25, fared even worse, coming off shortly before the interval against Atlético's local rivals having damaged his left thigh. Both players are now expected to be out of action for at least a week, meaning they could be available for the second leg against Valencia a week on Thursday.

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